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Gospel Reading for September 06, 2024 – Luke 5: 33-39
FIRST CATECHISTS
The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”
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There were so many religious practices during Jesus’ time, the purpose and meaning of which got lost because the Jews, especially the scribes and Pharisees became very legalistic and scrupulous with the practices. In Matthew 5: 17, Jesus says, “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” Indeed, Jesus wanted to bring back the purpose and meaning that got lost.
If we perform religious practices without knowing their purpose and meaning (which is always good), such as fasting during the Lenten Season just so we can say or show that we are fasting, we reduce it to an EMPTY RITUAL. As Catholic parents will surely decide that their children be baptized as Catholics, parents have to explain to their children first-hand, the purpose and meaning of religious practices they ask their children to follow. It is not the duty of their religion teachers or catechists. Children are more convinced if their own parents do the explaining/teaching. They are the FIRST CATECHISTS in word and in deed, of their children.
“The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” (Psalm 19: 😎
